Women and the Changing World of Work: New Policies for a New Century

Course Overview

Topics for these policy seminars have included environmental and natural resources policy, health-service delivery policy, social welfare policy, transportation policy, science and technology policy, international affairs, national security, urban and regional growth policy, and political campaigns.

Section Description

This course deals with the dramatic impact of social, demographic, and labor force changes on social policies related to women and family. The seminar will consist of an examination of policies focused on aspects of marriage, family and work for adult women, minorities, and the elderly. In previous generations, a women's welfare was based upon her husband's earnings. That world has changed profoundly. Increasingly, a women's economic security is her own responsibility, and social policies including retirement policies, must change to reflect that new reality. In barely two generations norms and expectations concerning work and family have altered greatly. Women who are today in their fifties and sixties have grown up in a world in which marital disruption has become common. Unlike their grandmothers, younger generations of women, especially the more educated, can not count on their husbands or guarantee their economic security. Women no longer work to simply supplement their income but to build their own nest egg. As a result, many single women find themselves at a serious disadvantage in the event their marriage or work fails.

This course is offered to all graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. The seminar is one of the topical electives in The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, Sociology Department,and fulfills requirements for the LBJ School specialization in economics and social policy.

Requirements and grading

The class will follow a fairly standard seminar format. You will be responsible for familiarizing yourself with all listed readings and for participating in class discussions. Material to be emphasized during class discussions will be announced prior to each class meeting. Readings may occasionally be modified to suit the needs of the class, and additional material may be distributed during the course of the semester depending on student interest and the availability of time. The course will be organized as a combination of lecture, peer discussion, and application sessions. Your course grade will be determined on the basis of a seminar paper and class participation.